The price gap: one night in London vs a long weekend in Bulgaria

A night out in London may seem like a great idea for those in commuting distance to the capital city. But, it often leaves your bank account feeling a little empty. According to the Telegraph, on average one night out could set you back over £330, which includes a night of drinking, a hotel room, taxi ride and a two-course dinner. In some bars, people have spent as much as £12 for a gin and tonic and between £6 and £8 for a small bottle of beer. Although Timeout reported London has slipped from the top spot as the world’s most expensive city to live in, just behind Hong Kong and New York, it’s still a pricey place to be. So instead of splashing the cash in London, why not head to Bulgaria for a long weekend, enjoy the Sunny Beach coastline and take advantage of the 70p beer and very affordable way of life. In fact, three nights in Bulgaria is cheaper than one lavish night out in London. Don't believe us? Read on to find out more.

Accommodation:

London is notorious for being expensive. You’re likely to pay on average around £230 for just one night in a London hotel room. For a similar price, you could rent a three-bedroom villa, for three nights with a pool, private garden, en-suite bathrooms, and balcony. Perhaps you’d rather something a little cheaper, renting out a private property could set you back as little as £75 a week on Sunny Beach.

Meals:

The price of a meal in a restaurant may vary depending on the place you plan on dining in. If you’re more of a pub grub person the price of a meal in London may be relatively low, whereas some of you may prefer the taste of the Ritz. But, for the sake of comparison, we will take the price of a mid-range restaurant for two people. In London, this could set you back as much as £40. But in Bulgaria, it’s as low as £18, under half price and that’s for three courses.

Drinks:

It’s a British tradition to enjoy a drink while relaxing, so the cost of a beverage is very important to us and the price of a drink in London is a constant topic of complaint, with priceoftravel.com averaging a beer price between £3 and £5 for a pint. So, if you’re planning to have a few drinks with some friends, it will cost you. However, if you’re heading to Sunny Beach you could be in for a much cheaper night out. A pint of local beer can be as cheap as 1 lev (45p) in a Supermarket, or around 60p in a pub. So, for the price of one beer in London, you can have the equivalent of six in Sunny Beach. Definite value for money.

Travel:

Now the main issue with a night out in London vs a long weekend in Bulgaria is travel. To get to Bulgaria you need to book a flight, which is considered pricey. However, the price to the Bulgarian capital; Sofia can be as little as £19 for a weekend return flight, offseason and during peak times as little as £79. But, these prices will fluctuate depending on the airline, time of year, etc.

But, what about the price of travel in both London and Sunny Beach? It probably won’t surprise you to learn, Sunny Beach is cheaper. The average price of one hour in a taxi will set you back as little as £6 and a one-way bus ticket is a mere 70p. Whereas one hour in a London taxi would cost you between £48 and £90 and a one-way bus fare is around £1.50.

Sunny Beach is the clear winner. One long-weekend in Sunny Beach is officially cheaper than one night out in London. So, what are you waiting for, save those pennies and start booking a flight to Bulgaria now!